The January transfer window is just hours away from closing. Most clubs have done all of their business, and most rosters are set for the rest of the season, culminating in May. The league is already over halfway done, and teams are beginning their fight for the top four, as well as relegation battles.
This season’s relegation battles have had as many teams as there has been in years, with with seven teams separated by just six points, from 14th place to 20th. Have these relegated clubs done enough in this transfer window for the month of January, to escape the relegation battle? or will they be one of the unlucky three teams that will go down to the championship next season?
While the top half of the table has seen some surprise entrances like Newcastle United, Brighton, and Fulham, the bottom half of the table has also seen some surprises such as Leicester City, West Ham United, and Leeds United. These are the three clubs that will be relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season.
Southampton
Despite Southampton being in 20th place, they do seem like the one team that is currently in the relegation zone that may have a chance of fighting out of it. Southampton are consistently a lower mid to mid-table club, but this is one of the worst seasons that they have had in recent memory.
It has been coming for years, with the club’s philosophy being to sell their best players at the highest price. That strategy has worked, as they’re scouting system has been elite, but those elite players are no longer coming into the side, and the rest of the league have done just a good of a job scouting in the last five years.
Bournemouth
Bouremouth have been the worst defensive side in the league this season, allowing 42 goals in just 20 matches so far. This kind of leaky defense could be excusable if they had even a relatively exciting attack, but they do not have much to inspire on that side. Manager Gary O’Niel has made this side a much stronger team, but they simply do not have enough quality to outlast the rest of the Premier League.
Everton
Everton have been a part of the English top division league for a record 119 seasons. The Toffees are as much of a staple of the Premier League as the big six clubs, but they have flirted with relegation over the last few seasons, just escaping last year by three points. However, Everton are sitting in 19th place, with the least amount of wins, the worst form in the league (one point in their last five matches), and they just sold Anthony Gordon to Newcastle without bringing in any transfer so far.
Everton recently sacked manger and former Chelsea legend Frank Lampard and have just appointed former Burnley manager Sean Dyche to be their manager and hopefully save them from relegation. Dyche is extremely familiar with relegation battles, but the fear is that the roster is not good enough to escape the battle.
